Manipulation support provided by an apparatus to the user is roughly classified into two types: support of automatically providing a manipulation confirmation request before a function of the apparatus is executed, and support of displaying a help screen or a help explanation when demanded by the user after a function is executed.
Generally with the support of automatically providing a manipulation confirmation request before a function of the apparatus is executed, a manipulation explanation or a manipulation confirmation request sentence regarding a function prepared beforehand by a designer is automatically displayed. For example, a manipulation explanation on a newly added function is displayed; or when the function is, for example, to delete a content, an explanation is displayed that it is impossible to return to the pre-manipulation state once the function is executed.
By contrast, the support of displaying a help explanation or the like after a function is executed is generally carried out as follows. The user makes a demand for a help after executing a “function that the user does not know well how to use”, and the apparatus displays a help explanation in response to the demand. This type of support presents the same help explanation to any user as long as the function for which the help is demanded is the same. Therefore, this type of support has a problem that a manipulation explanation cannot be provided in accordance with the manipulation skill (learning level) of the user.
In order to address this problem, Patent Document No. 1 discloses an adaptive information output method which is capable of providing a manipulation explanation in accordance with the learning level of the user. This method is carried out as follows. When a user demands a help for a function manipulation, the learning level of the user on the function manipulation is estimated based on the similarity thereof with the function manipulation of the apparatus used in the past by the user. Then, a manipulation explanation is made in accordance with the estimated learning level. In this manner, an explanation adapted to the user who demanded the help can be provided.
Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-38867